| Summary: | The Reporter is a publication produced by Western Carolina University featuring news, events, and campus community updates for faculty and staff. The publication began in August of 1970 and continues digitally today. Click on the link in the “Related Materials” field to access recent issues. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 16, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | NOTEWORTHY NEWS Blood drive held on campus Sept. 22-24 The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive in the multipurpose room of A.K. Hinds University Center from Tuesday-Thursday, Sept. 22-24. The hours will be 12:30 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and Wednesday, Sept. 23; and 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24. For more information, contact Carolyn Deal, American Red Cross donor recruitment representative, at (828) 258-3888, extension 137. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond the Glass Matrix 5/29/2017 Water Portraits: Barbara Tyroler 6/9/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' 6/10/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 8, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | ACHIEVEMENTS Assistant professor of nursing accepted into national leadership program The National League for Nursing’s Foundation for Nursing Education recently selected Linda Comer, assistant professor of nursing at Western Carolina University, as a protégé for its Johnson & Johnson Faculty Leadership and Mentoring Program. “Participation in this program is such an honor, and will assist me to acquire important skills in leading faculty teams and continue to develop in my academic faculty role,” said Comer. Comer was one of ????????ve applicants selected from more than 60 applications to this year’s program, to be paired with an NLN Academy of Nursing Education fellow recognized by NLN as a leader in nursing education. Criteria for selection included evidence of teaching e????????ectiveness, indication of leadership potential in nursing education and evidence of strong communication skills. Over a 12-month period, Comer and her mentor will work together on individual leadership development as a group project they will present at the 2010 NLN Education Summit in Las Vegas. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 21, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | TOP STORIES Backstage with Jason Solomon Jason Solomon , assistant professor of music, is directing a new group on campus – the Western Carolina University Contemporary Chamber Ensemble. The ensemble will perform its first concert of avant-garde music in the Coulter Building recital hall at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22. The event is free and open to the public. Solomon (pictured), a native of the Atlanta area, holds bachelor’s degrees in classical guitar performance and music composition, a master’s degree in classical guitar performance, and a doctorate in music with an emphasis in theory, all from the University of Georgia. He also is a member of the Georgia Guitar Quartet, which tours nationally. The Reporter: What is your first memory of the power or beauty of music? Solomon: My grandfather played guitar in a country band, and that was my first real exposure to live music. Oddly enough, I think I became fascinated with the guitar itself before I really fell in love with the music coming out of it. The Reporter: What was the first instrument you played? Who inspired you? Solomon: The guitar was my first and still is my primary instrument. I was initially influenced by my grandfather and a slew of rock guitarists. Later, I fell in love with the classical guitar and was influenced by Andres Segovia, Christopher Parkening and others. The Reporter: You are part of the Georgia Guitar Quartet? How did that group come together? What are some of the favorite pieces to perform? Solomon: We formed the quartet as undergraduates back in 1996. We play a wide variety of music, including classical music from all time periods, jazz, Celtic, bluegrass, ragtime and so on. We also experiment with rock music and recently worked up a transcription of a song by the British rock band Radiohead. We mostly play our own arrangements and original compositions. We just try to do a little bit of everything, and we have a great time doing it. The Reporter: When and how did you become interested in contemporary music? Solomon: The music of American composer George Crumb was really my gateway into contemporary music. It amazed, touched, and terrified me all at the same time. After getting into his music, there was no turning back. The Reporter: How would you describe this kind of music to someone who has never heard it? Solomon: Much contemporary music, or music in the classical vein of the 20th and 21st centuries, is atonal and features nontraditional harmonies and rhythms. Often the emphasis is on color and texture rather than melody. It really offers a different musical experience; it is difficult to listen to Stockhausen with the same musical mindset that you would use to listen to Beethoven. Part of the joy of the experience of modern music is to check your expectations at the door when you walk in. The Reporter: The ensemble will perform Riley’s “In C,” which has a quality of indeterminacy – many details of the performance are left to chance or the discretion of the performers. How does that work exactly? CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT Solomon: The score consists of 53 musical figures – short melodic fragments with unique rhythmic identities– that are designed to mesh with one another in an interesting fashion. Each performer decides individually how many times to repeat a figure before moving on to the next one. As a result, multiple figures are interacting with one another throughout the performance, and this part is really left up to chance. Also, the composer does not indicate the instrumentation for the piece—any number or any kind of instrument can perform it. We have a fine ensemble of faculty and student performers for this presentation of “In C.” The Reporter: Has anything humorous happened in rehearsal as a result of the uniqueness of the music? Solomon: I wouldn’t say anything humorous, but sometimes the unpredictable moments that arise among members of the ensemble are just magical. During our first rehearsal, I actually had goose bumps a few times when a totally unplanned but incredibly interesting relationship emerged through the sound. The Reporter: What could someone who has not studied this music take away from the concert? Solomon: There is a misconception that you must have a degree in music to understand and appreciate contemporary music, or that you have to fully understand something in order to enjoy it. This simply is not true. All that is truly required is an open mind. Some of the most rewarding musical experiences I’ve ever had have been with highly avant-garde compositions. That being said, “In C” is actually a very accessible work. It is the perfect piece for anyone who has not yet been exposed to this type of music. I hope people will walk away feeling that they have had a new experience. Perhaps they will be puzzled by what they have heard, but that is OK. I hope the new experience will be rewarding enough to promote interest in new music and to keep people coming back to the ensemble’s concerts. Interview by Teresa Killian Tate, and published in edited and condensed form. Tags: Jason Solomon, Q&A © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 16, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | ACHIEVEMENTS Beverly Collins assists with Southern Forest Futures Project Beverly Collins, associate professor of biology at Western Carolina University, recently received an $11,878 grant from the United States Forest Service to assist with the Southern Forest Futures Project. Collins and Margaret Trani Griep of the U.S. Forest Service Southern Region are gathering and synthesizing information for the project pertaining to biodiversity and wildlife. They will examine how changes in forest environmental and social conditions might affect terrestrial wildlife, including birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians; their habitats; and forest vegetation communities in the South. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 28, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | Ron Michaelis ACHIEVEMENTS Book by Ron Michaelis cited in Supreme Court opinion A book co-authored by Ron C. Michaelis, a faculty member in the biology department at Western Carolina University, was cited multiple times in a recent opinion by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. Michaelis was the primary author of “A Litigator’s Guide to DNA: From the Laboratory to the Courtroom,” which was published in 2008. Alito cited the book in reference to how DNA testing can be a????????ected by malfunctions and human errors, risks associated with mishandling evidence as a result of the sensitivity of a kind of DNA test, and how defense attorneys can question any detail of a laboratory operation. “I am thrilled to know that my work is having that kind of impact on its ????????eld,” said Michaelis. “It makes the time I spent working on it all worthwhile.” Michaelis was inspired to write the book when he applied for a forensic science faculty position at WCU. “I was preparing for the interviews at WCU, reading relevant things from the ????????eld of forensics, and I noticed there was no book out there that combined the three subjects a DNA lawyer or judge needs to know – the molecular biology behind forensic testing, the statistical theory one needs to know to properly interpret the probative value of the evidence and the issues that prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges face when litigating a case that involves DNA evidence.” Michaelis spent the next three-and-a-half years working on the project with help from two legal experts. His co-authors were Robert G. Flanders Jr., former associate justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, and Paula H. Wul????????, who was then the program manager for the Forensic DNA Program at the National District Attorneys Association’s American Prosecutors Research Institute. Wul???????? is now an attorney at the FBI’s laboratory in Quantico, Va. “My father is a retired attorney, and it has given me great pleasure that I was able to produce such a substantial work in the ????????eld that he worked in for so long,” said Michaelis. “He, needless to say, is impressed to no end that my book is being used by the Supreme Court.” Michaelis is currently writing two new books related to genomic medicine – “The Busy Physician’s Guide to Genetics, Genomics and Personalized Medicine” and “What the Recent Advances in Genetic Research Mean for Your Family’s Health Care.” “The recent advances in genetic research are ushering in an era of personalized medicine, in which genetic tests can tell us what diseases we are most at risk for and what treatments or drug doses will work best for each individual patient,” said Michaelis. For more information, contact Michaelis at (828) 227-3662 or michaelis@email.wcu.edu. By Teresa Killian Tate CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 11, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | Brad Ulrich ACHIEVEMENTS Brad Ulrich to perform, teach and recruit in Russia Brad Ulrich, trumpet professor at Western Carolina University, will return to Russia in October to teach and perform and to recruit students for a week of study at WCU this spring. Ulrich and two other trumpet players from the United States will ????????rst travel to St. Petersburg where he will perform a concerto with an orchestra as part of the seventh International Romantic Trumpet Festival. Following the performance in St. Petersburg, they will travel to Moscow, where Ulrich will present a trumpet clinic at the Moscow Conservatory of Music. In addition, the three American trumpeters will perform a recital with Vlad Lavrik, principal trumpet of the Russian National Orchestra, and four students from the Moscow Conservatory. Ulrich will be recruiting trumpet students from the Moscow Conservatory to WCU for a week of study and performances this spring. “The Russian students will attend rehearsals with the WCU Trumpet Ensemble and perform solos and ensembles in a recital within the School of Music,” said Ulrich. “This will be an amazing opportunity for the students at WCU, and I know the Russian students will have an incredible time on our campus.” The trip is Ulrich’s third to Russia. The first was in 2005 with the Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet and the second was in 2008 for a recital and clinic. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 28, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | Casey Hurley Cover of “The Six Virtues of the Educated Person” ACHIEVEMENTS Casey Hurley recommends alternative educational model in “The Six Virtues of the Educated Person” Casey Hurley, professor of educational leadership at Western Carolina University, suggests in his new book that the educational system should focus less on the kind of skills that make a person a good contestant on “Jeopardy.” In “The Six Virtues of the Educated Person,” which was recently published by Rowman & Little????????eld Education, Hurley recommends an alternative educational model – one that he says is rooted in philosophy rather than politics. “In my book, I argue that if we de????????ne being educated as having high standardized test scores, we teach only one of the six virtues of the educated person,” said Hurley. “We educate for the virtue of understanding, but we neglect imagination, strong character, courage, humility and generosity. Unless we embrace this richer de????????nition of what it means to be educated, educational improvement is unlikely.” Hurley says he has made a career out of turning things upside down. He does this to see if the inverted approach works better than the common practice. For example, the failure of teacher supervision to improve instruction over the past 50 years suggests that a completely new approach is needed. Therefore, in a 1993 article he argued that teachers should be “undervised,” instead of supervised. More recently, “The Six Virtues of the Educated Person” challenges a popular belief by arguing that education should focus on making the world better, not on improving test scores. The second purpose is popular today, but its shallowness is apparent in a comparison with the ????????rst one. Hurley said he hopes readers take away from the book a deep, rich philosophical de????????nition of what it means to be educated, and invites them to participate in discussion at the book’s associated Web site, www.sixvirtues.com. “All we have to do is think about the kind of people we like to spend time with and the kind we don’t want to be around,” said Hurley. “The ????????rst kind demonstrates understanding, imagination, strong character, courage, humility and generosity. The second kind demonstrates an uneducated human nature, which is ignorant, intellectually incompetent, weak, fearful, proud and selfish.” For more information, contact Hurley at (828) 227-3321 or churley@wcu.edu. By Teresa Killian Tate CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond the Glass Matrix 5/29/2017 Water Portraits: Barbara Tyroler 6/9/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' 6/10/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 16, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | ACHIEVEMENTS Claire DeCristofaro presents on hypertension Claire DeCristofaro, associate professor of nursing at Western Carolina Univeristy, recently gave an invited continuing medical education presentation titled “Hypertension Update 2009” at a regional conference for nurse practitioners. The event was sponsored by the Grand Strand Advanced Practice Nursing Association and held in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Tags: Claire DeCristofaro CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond the Glass Matrix 5/29/2017 Water Portraits: Barbara Tyroler 6/9/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' 6/10/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 21, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | Water appears to have entered Belk Building through and damaged an equipment room (pictured). NOTEWORTHY NEWS Clean-up continues after flooding in Belk Building Classes have been relocated temporarily from the ground ????????oor of Belk Building as clean-up continues after ????????ooding caused by a ruptured water main. About 1 to 2 inches of standing, muddy water was found in classrooms, labs and o????????ces on the ground ????????oor of Belk Building on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 20, after fire alarms activated, said Chuck Wooten, vice chancellor for administration and finance. “We initially got the water main and power turned o???????? and hope to restore water to the building Monday, but the rain is making it di????????cult,” said Wooten. Robert McMahan, dean of the Kimmel School, said he and others were packing their o????????ce items to facilitate cleaning carpets, baseboards and other items. “There are about 100 fans in the building and dehumidi????????ers set up now,” said McMahan on Monday afternoon. “It will probably be Thursday or Friday before the office feels fairly normal again.” CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 28, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | Watch a slideshow from Mountain Heritage Day. TOP STORIES Crowd braves rain to enjoy Mountain Heritage Day Fans of traditional mountain culture from around Western North Carolina and adjacent states gathered at Western Carolina University on Saturday (Sept. 26) to get a taste – make that a “wet” taste – of Southern Appalachian music, dance, food, and arts and crafts. More than 2 inches of rain fell in Cullowhee as WCU presented its 35th annual Mountain Heritage Day festival. The event was held on a back-up site in the center of WCU’s campus after several weeks of almost constant rain caused the festival’s normal site, an intramural ????????eld, to be unusable. Although the Mountain Heritage Day crowd was periodically doused with heavy rain, there also were periods in which no rain fell and visitors could enjoy the activities without the use of an umbrella, said festival Chairman Scott Philyaw. “I truly appreciate the goodwill and kind considerations of everyone who attended this year’s festival,” Philyaw said. “The bad weather truly brought out the best in people. The only people willing to venture out with the forecast were those who are comfortable with rainy weather. “It is di????????cult to estimate attendance, given the dispersed nature of this year’s festival, but it appears that our visitation was approximately 50 percent of what it would be in a normal year,” Philyaw said. Planning will begin soon for the 2010 edition of Mountain Heritage Day, which will be held on Saturday, Sept. 25. To see a photo gallery from this year’s Mountain Heritage Day, click on the Web at http://www.wcu.edu/about-wcu/centers-institutes- affiliates/mountain-heritage-center/mountain-heritage- day/index.asp. By Randall Holcombe CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 8, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | ACHIEVEMENTS Curator assists with revision of book used nationally to catalog collections For the past three years, Trevor Jones, curator at the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University, has served on a national committee to revise Robert G. Chenhall’s system for classifying man-made objects. This winter, his work will be published in “Nomenclature 3.0.” Published by Alta Mira Press, “Nomenclature 3.0” features more than 5,000 new object terms, three new hierarchical levels, a new interior book design, and an electronic version for use in museum databases. The book is used by history museums across the United States and Canada to catalog their collections. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 11, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | NOTEWORTHY NEWS Faculty musicians to perform concert on Tuesday, Sept. 15 The Catamount Concert Series presents the biannual Faculty Showcase at 8 p.m. in the recital hall of Coulter Building. The show is free and open to the public. Performers include soprano Mary Kay Bauer, percussionist Mario Gaetano, vocalist Robert Holquist, alto saxophonist Ian Jeffress, pianist Brad Martin, bass clarinetist Shannon Thompson and trumpet player Brad Ulrich. The concert also will feature the Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet and the Faculty Commercial and Electronic Music Ensemble, which will perform original funk jazz music by Bruce Frazier and Don Miller. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 10, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | NOTEWORTHY NEWS Fall issue of WCU magazine hits the Web Features in the fall 2009 edition of the magazine of Western Carolina University features range from a story about alumna Sheila Dail, who was a ????????ight attendant on “The Miracle on the Hudson” US Airways Flight 1549, to a package of stories about wildlife research. Faculty and sta???????? featured in the issue include Bill Clarke, Ron Davis, Brian Byrd, Trevor Jones, Joe Pechmann, John E. Wells and Josh Whitmore. Click here to see Western Carolina magazine online. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond the Glass Matrix 5/29/2017 Water Portraits: Barbara Tyroler 6/9/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' 6/10/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 28, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | NOTEWORTHY NEWS Flute professor Eldred Spell to give 20th anniversary concert Oct. 6 Eldred Spell, professor of ????????ute in Western Carolina University’s School of Music, will celebrate his 20th year as a WCU faculty member with an evening of music at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6. The performance, part of the Catamount Concert Series, is open to the public free of charge. It will be held in the recital hall of the Coulter Building on the WCU campus. “Musical selections will range from poignantly beautiful to completely silly,” said Spell (pictured), who will be assisted by WCU School of Music faculty members Andrew Adams, piano; Terri Arm????????eld, oboe; and Mary Kay Bauer, soprano; and WCU graduate assistant Judith Gilbert, flute. The program will include music by composers Madeleine Dring, Karl Doppler, Arnold Cooke and Robert Kehrberg, dean of the WCU College of Fine and Performing Arts. For information, call the WCU School of Music at (828) 227-7242. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond the Glass Matrix 5/29/2017 Water Portraits: Barbara Tyroler 6/9/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' 6/10/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 28, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | NOTEWORTHY NEWS Friends Weekend in Atlanta to feature art and symphony The eighth annual Friends Weekend in Atlanta will take place Saturday, Jan. 30, and Sunday, Jan. 31. The weekend includes: Special High Museum exhibit, Saturday, Jan. 30, “Leonardo da Vinci, Hand of the Genius,” featuring approximately 50 works, including 20 which will be on view for the first time in the United States. Tickets are for 2 p.m. admission. Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Saturday, Jan. 30, at 8 p.m. Robert Spano conducts Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring.” Also on the program are Vaughn Williams’s “Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis” and the soundtrack score for Francis Ford Coppola’s “Youth Without Youth” by acclaimed contemporary composer Osvaldo Golijov. Lodging for one night at the Residence Inn Atlanta Downtown, 134 Peachtree Street N.W., located across from the High Museum and Symphony Hall. Arrive Saturday, Jan. 30, depart Sunday, Jan. 31. Free breakfast and parking included. (Participants who prefer to do so may arrange their own lodging.) Participants will provide their own transportation to Atlanta. Directions to the hotel and information about restaurants within walking distance will be included with tickets. Total cost is per person, double occupancy, and includes tickets, audio guide, hotel with breakfast and parking, all taxes, and a $25 per person tax-deductible contribution to the Friends of Hunter Library. Contribution is waived for full-time college students. Youths ages 6 to 17 must be accompanied by adult. Adults under 65: $127 Adults 65 and over: $125 Full-Time College Students: $100 Youths (ages 6-17): $96 Wednesday, Oct. 21, is the last day to register for the Friends Weekend in Atlanta. If you are not on the Friends Weekend in Atlanta mailing list and wish to receive more information and a registration form, please call Dora Melton, assistant to the dean of library services, at (828) 227-3406. Bill Kirwan is coordinator of the weekend. By Christy McCarley CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 8, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | Claudia Bryant WCU student Tracy Wright teaches English to Korean students using the “Hokey Pokey” song. TOP STORIES From Korea with Claudia Bryant Claudia Bryant, assistant professor of political science and public affairs and assistant director of international programs and services, attended a summer session in South Korea with six WCU students: Bethany Nicholls, Dolly Vang, Phong Vang, See Vang, Ray Swanson and Tracy Wright. The Korean Studies Summer Program at Hannam University in Daejeon included in-depth exploration of Korean culture – cooking, clothing, language, history, architecture, economics, education, cinema and other topics – as well as field trips each weekend. Bryant joined the WCU faculty in 2003. In 2007, she was elected president of the North Carolina Political Science Association. Bryant teaches undergraduate and graduate courses at Western Carolina including gender in politics, Latin American political systems, global issues, budgetary processes and public affairs administration. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina-Asheville, a master’s degree from Appalachian State University and a doctorate from the University of Tennessee, all in political science. The Reporter: What motivated you to travel to South Korea? Bryant: It was the fabulous representatives from Hannam University in Daejeon, Korea, with whom we met in early April and again in mid-May. Dr. John Stiles, the U.S. adviser to Hannam, Mr. Wonbae Kim and Dr. Byunchul Lee all visited the campus and met with the Office of International Programs and Services staff in early April. They sold the program to the IPS staff, which made it incredibly easy for us to sell it to the students. The Reporter: How did students and staff get to know one another? Bryant: Each American participant is paired with a Korean student buddy. The buddy accompanies his or her companion to classes. They share the same dorm room. They go out for meals and to shop together. A number of them even participated in home-stays with each other where the American students spent a weekend in the home and with the families of the Korean buddies. Within hours, I could see the bonds developing between the students. By the end of the three weeks, they truly had come to think of each other as family. The Reporter: What cultural differences did you experience? Bryant: Partly because of the distance we were traveling, and partly because we were going to an Asian country instead of a Western European country, even I expected to experience a fair amount of culture shock. That never happened. Partly, for me, feeling so at home was a matter of topography. The area in and around Daejeon looks very, very similar to Western North Carolina. On the third day of the program, we went for a hike in the mountains right outside Daejeon. But by far the most important reason that we all felt so at home has to be attributed simply to the warmth of the Korean people. Because there are so few Americans who travel to that part of the world, we certainly stood out. Strangers would often come up to us on the street and say hello as a way of practicing their English skills, or would simply smile at us as if to say, “Welcome! Glad to see you here!” The Reporter: Where were some of the places you traveled within South Korean? Bryant: We took a couple of trips to Seoul, a trip to the beach in southwestern Korea on July Fourth, and a visit to the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea. Also, three of the six WCU students who participated, as well as myself, stayed on in Daejeon for an additional week after the program ended so that the students could teach English classes in a local elementary school. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT WCU students visit a beach in Korea with Korean students on the Fourth of July. WCU student Ray Swanson leads Korean students in a game to pratice English based on a bus stop. The Reporter: What were some of the things WCU students accomplished on their trip? Bryant: I accompanied our WCU students to their classes during the week, and I have to say, the reception they received from the Korean students was phenomenal. The WCU students really managed to grab their attention and were very effective teachers. Tracy Wright taught Korean students the song “Hokey Pokey” and sang it with them after teaching them the parts of the body in English. Ray Swanson created a game setting up bus stops around his classroom after teaching his students how to discuss dates and times of day in English. Each student had to get off at the right bus stop around the room, based on the day and time Swanson called out. The Reporter: How was this trip a life experience for students? Bryant: The conferment ceremony was quite an emotional experience. I lost count of the number of students, whether Korean or American, who broke down in tears as they talked about how much the experience had meant to them and how much they were going to miss each other. There has been a tremendous number of Facebook friend requests as a result. There were even a few romances that began during the course of the program. The Reporter: How will your newfound knowledge affect your teaching? Brya nt: The “Public Affairs Administration” course I have taught incorporates a cross-national comparison of the role of the bureaucracy. In the past, I’ve focused on the bureaucracies of Canada, France and Great Britain, but very much want to incorporate a discussion of the Korean bureaucracy if I teach the course again. I have a list a mile long of books about Korean versus American social behavior patterns, and want to read more about differences in terms of governing practices. The Reporter: How can people learn more about overseas opportunities through WCU? Bryant: We recently met with faculty interested in taking their students overseas during next spring and summer. I am glad to meet with any faculty members individually who were not able to attend that meeting. The IPS Web site http://ips.wcu.edu has information for students who are interested in traveling overseas, as well as faculty members who are interested in teaching or researching overseas. For more information, contact Bryant at (828) 227-3860 or (828) 227-7739. Interview prepared by Sarah Kucharski and published in edited and condensed form Tags: Claudia Bryant, Q&A © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 23, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | NOTEWORTHY NEWS Heavy rains hit campus; lead to relocation of Mountain Heritage Day festival Photos below show how recent heavy rains in Cullowhee caused creeks to rise and water to pool in low-lying areas on Western Carolina University’s campus. The weather has been so wet that the Mountain Heritage Day festival set for Saturday, Sept. 26, has been relocated to another part of campus. Click here to read about the change in location for for Mountain Heritage Day. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 11, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | NOTEWORTHY NEWS Hunter Library hosts exhibit “Dream Time Flora: Photography by Tim Lewis” An exhibit of photographs titled “Dream Time Flora: Photography by Tim Lewis” will be open at Hunter Library at Western Carolina University through Friday, Oct. 30. The gallery is located on the ????????rst ????????oor of the library across from the music and video collections. “Dream Time Flora” is a collection of black-and-white photographs by Lewis, artist-in-residence at Gallery 1 in Sylva, of umbrella magnolia, dogwood, wild grape, horsetails and other plants. For more information, check out the artist’s Web site at http://timlewis.blogspot.com. Pictured at right: “Umbrella Magnolia” by artist Tim Lewis CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond the Glass Matrix 5/29/2017 Water Portraits: Barbara Tyroler 6/9/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' 6/10/2017 Musical Variety Show 'Livin' the Dream' LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 21, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | Luther Jones holds a poster from the movie “Sombrero,” which was based on a book by Josefina Niggli. TOP STORIES Memories of Josefina Niggli inspire professor to propose a yearlong celebration of her life and legacy Luther Jones remembers the castanet-like sound of Josefina Niggli drumming her long fingernails, the wingback chair from which she taught, and how she extended her arm at the steps to the stage and waited for a student – sometimes him – to assist her. That was nearly 40 years ago, when Jones, now an assistant professor at WCU, was a Western Carolina student searching for his path – first as a forestry major, then a history major and finally in the theater. “When I took ‘Shakespeare on Stage’ from Ms. Niggli, she said ‘It’s only literature if you read it. If you figure out how to present it on stage, it’s drama. Shakespeare was meant to be performed,’” said Jones. “What I got was how to look at something more deeply than I ever had before, analyze it and figure out what needed to be changed or modified to perform it on stage – to adapt to make something work. It was a lesson that applied not just to theater, but to life.” Jones applied that lesson and others he learned from Niggli often in his 20-year career as a technician in the stage and screen industry. He worked as a props master for Flat Rock Playhouse, technical director for the Warehouse Theatre, and behind the scenes for movies including “The Last of the Mohicans,” “Patch Adams, “My Fellow Americans” and “The Legend of Bagger Vance.” “We learned a lot more than theater from Miss Niggli,” said Jones, who thought about her more and more with the recent renovations to WCU’s Niggli Theatre, which was named in her honor after her death in 1983. Niggli was born in Monterrey, Mexico, to American parents in 1910 – the first year of the Mexican Revolution. Her family fled to the United States when she was 3 years old and returned to Mexico when she was 10. In later years, Niggli helped share the beauty and the struggles of people in Mexico as a poet, novelist and playwright. Her achievements include studying under Frederick Koch, who helped found the outdoor drama and folk play movement, and working with Pulitzer Prize-winner Paul Green. She also was a stable writer in Hollywood for film and television, and portions of her book, “Mexican Village,” were adapted into the movie “Sombrero.” Today at WCU, Jones has his students read one of her plays, “The Ring of General Macias,” which is set during the Mexican Revolution. “Part of the play examines why a person became a rebel,” said Jones. “Niggli hits you with both sides, and during the course of the play you begin to understand both viewpoints.” From1955 to 1975, Niggli served on the faculty at Western Carolina and was a key part of developing the drama curriculum. She made her home in Cullowhee until her death. Her bequest to WCU has generated more than $120,000 in scholarships for theater students, and a collection of materials from her and about her are in Special Collections of WCU’s Hunter Library. When Jones realized July 2010 would be the 100th anniversary of Niggli’s birth, he prepared “The Niggli Initiative,” a four-page proposal for a yearlong, multidisciplinary study and celebration of Niggli at WCU. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT Josefina Niggli The card above is from the Josefina Niggli documents in Special Collections at WCU’s Hunter Library and is dated November 1980. “There’s a lot we can learn from her,” said Jones. The Office of Undergraduate Studies then began coordinating development of a campuswide integrated learning theme for the 2009-10 academic year titled “Josefina Niggli: A Celebration of Culture, Art and Life.” Activities under discussion include a screening of the movie “Sombrero,” a panel discussion of people who knew Niggli and a celebration event in July. “We are in the midst of a campuswide thematic and interdisciplinary journey that has generated enthusiasm and created an authentic exploration that will promote scholarship, celebrate cultural diversity and empower artistic expression,” said Glenda Hensley, coordinator of first year experiences with the Office of Undergraduate Studies. “The teaching and learning potential that we have within our grasp if we channel and integrate energies – if we could truly focus on the notion of synthesis and intentional learning – is tremendous. I did not know Ms. Niggli, but do know that her legacy continues to support our students and enhance our experiences. I cannot imagine a more satisfying experience than to witness this level of collaboration as we celebrate her contributions to our university and to our community.” Faculty, staff and students interested in being part of the effort may contact Hensley at ghensley@email.wcu.edu or (828) 227-3014; or attend a meeting at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, in the Cardinal Room at A.K Hinds University Center. By Teresa Killian Tate Tags: Josefina Niggli © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 21, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | Mountain Heritage Day offers demonstrations of traditional folk arts and skills, and 130 booths of hand-made arts and crafts. TOP STORIES Mountain Heritage Weekend to feature Friday concert and Saturday festival with traditional mountain crafts, music and food UPDATE: Heavy rains led Mountain Heritage Day organizers to announce on Wednesday, Sept. 23, that the festival will be moved from near WCU’s Cordelia Camp Building to the area of Memorial Drive and Killian Building Lane, which will be closed to traffic. The traditional culture of the Southern Appalachians will be in the limelight during Mountain Heritage Weekend, with WCU sponsoring its 35th annual Mountain Heritage Day festival on Saturday, Sept. 26, and a pre-festival bluegrass concert featuring the Crowe Brothers on Friday, Sept. 25. The Crowe Brothers will take the stage at 7 p.m. in the performance hall of the Fine and Performing Arts Center. Guitarist Josh Crowe and bassist Wayne Crowe have been recording and touring together since 1975 and have recorded four albums with legendary Maggie Valley banjo player Raymond Fairchild, and four albums as the Crowe Brothers. With the release of the brothers’ latest album, “Brothers-N-Harmony,” music reviewers are hailing the Crowes as one of the top bluegrass ensembles carrying on the tradition of brothers singing beautifully blended harmonies. The opening song on the album, “Cindy Mae,” reached No. 1 on the Sirius radio bluegrass chart and No. 8 in Cashbox. For the Sept. 25 concert, the Crowes will perform with a group of backup musicians that will include banjo player Steve Sutton, a WCU alumnus who formerly toured with Rhonda Vincent and the Rage. To purchase general admission tickets at $10 each, call the Fine and Performing Arts Center at (828) 227-2479 (Visa or MasterCard) or visit the box office between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Tickets also may be purchased online at http://fapac.wcu.edu. Mountain Heritage Day kicks off at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, with a 130-booth midway featuring handmade arts and crafts, 30 booths offering traditional mountain food, and more than 30 free performances of traditional music and clogging. Arts, crafts and food booths will be allowed to remain open until 6 p.m. this year – kickoff time for Catamount football. A vendor guide will be available at festival information booths for those who plan to shop along the midway. WCU’s Mountain Heritage Center once again will sponsor area folk artists demonstrating arts and skills such as blacksmithing, stone carving and pottery making on the main festival grounds. The museum’s Circle Tent will offer historical presentations by the Jackson County Historical Society, free heritage activities for children, a storytelling session with Marilyn McMinn-McCredie, and guitar and fiddle sessions. New to the festival this year will be living-history demonstrations of an 18th-century hunters’ camp, and draft horses and mules at work. The Mountain Heritage Center sponsors performances and demonstrations on the main festival grounds, but the museum doors will be open on Mountain Heritage Day to allow visitors to view its exhibits and displays. Located on the ground floor of H.F. Robinson Administration Building, the center will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free hayrides will transport visitors between the Mountain Heritage Center and the festival grounds. Festival-goers will have a chance to experience a unique American musical tradition during two sessions of shape-note singing. Other events on the agenda are exhibitions of Cherokee Indian ball (also known as “stickball”) and black powder shooting with a flintlock rifled musket; a woodcutting contest featuring chainsaw and crosscut saw masters; and other competitions, including a 5-K foot race, 1-mile Fun Run for children, antique auto show, costume contests for children and adults, and a beard and moustache contest. Also, winners from “A Gathering In,” the festival traditional foods competition, will be on display all day. Mountain Heritage Day is held outside, rain or shine. Close parking is limited, but shuttles operate throughout the day to transport visitors between outlying parking areas and festival grounds. Visitors coming onto campus should watch out for designated shuttle pick-up locations. Special parking is available to those with physical disabilities. Admission and parking at Mountain Heritage Day are free. Visitors are encouraged to CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT Performances by young cloggers are always a crowd favorite at the festival. bring lawn chairs to set up at the stages, and to also bring hats and plenty of sunscreen if a sunny day is in the forecast. Pets are not allowed on Mountain Heritage Day grounds, but service animals are welcome. For more information about Mountain Heritage Day, call (828) 227-3193 or visit MountainHeritageDay.com. MOUNTAIN HERITAGE DAY SCHEDULES GENERAL EVENTS 8 a.m. – Midway booths open, offering arts, crafts and food; registration begins for Mountain Heritage 5K footrace and 1-mile Fun Run 8:30 a.m. – Fun Run begins; registration begins for woodcutting contest 9 a.m. – 5-K footrace begins; Mountain Heritage Center opens 9:30 a.m. – Woodcutting competition and antique auto show begin 10 a.m. – Folk artists begin demonstrations; living-history demonstrations of 18th-century hunters’ camp and draft horses and mules at work begin 10:30 a.m. – Exhibition of black powder shooting; “Sacred Harp” shape-note sing begins 11 a.m. – Exhibition of Cherokee Indian ball begins 12:10 p.m. – Costume contests for adults and children, men’s beard and moustache contest, and presentation of Eva Adcock Award and Mountain Heritage Award, all on Norton Music Stage 1 p.m. – Exhibition of Cherokee Indian ball begins 1:30 p.m. – “Christian Harmony” shape-note sing begins 2:15 p.m. – Exhibition of black powder shooting 4 p.m. – Mountain Heritage Center closes 6 p.m. – Arts, crafts and food booths close on midway FOLK ARTS AND SKILLS DEMONSTRATIONS (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.) Brian Bartel – wood working Tom Brown – “apple detective” Bernadine George and Dean Reed – pottery making Earl Lanning – gunsmithing Lloyd Owle – stone carving Matt Shirey – blacksmithing Larry Stout – sorghum molasses Edward Walkingstick – bow making R.O. Wilson – crosscut saw sharpening LIVING HISTORY DEMONSTRATIONS (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.) Bob Plott and Charles Brown – 18th-century hunters’ camp Curtis Allison and Dwayne Franks – draft horses and mules at work TRADITIONAL MUSIC STAGE (David Brose, moderator) 10 a.m. – Welcome with Tanya Carroll 10:10 a.m. – Wolfe Town Community Singers 10:40 a.m. – Laura Boosinger 11:10 a.m. – Sheila Kay Adams 11:40 a.m. – Vance Trull and Henry Wilson 12:10 p.m. – Queen Family 12:40 p.m. – Mountain Top Travelers 1:10 p.m. – Deitz Family 1:40 p.m. – “A Gathering In” foods contest winners presentation 1:50 p.m. – Danielle Bishop and the Bishop Family 2:20 p.m. – Fisher Family 2:50 p.m. – Youth Heritage Musicians 3:30 p.m. – WCU Porch Music Club CIRCLE TENT 10 a.m. – Presentations: “The History of the Jackson County Courthouse” and “Abe Lincoln in Western North Carolina” by the Jackson County Historical Society 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Hands-On Children’s Heritage Activities 1 p.m. – Storytelling session with Marylin McMinn-McCredie 1:30 p.m. – Guitar Circle with moderator Wayne Seymour, Don Fox, Mark Queen and Henry Wilson 2:45 p.m. – Fiddle Circle with moderator Wayne Seymour, Vance Trull, Crystal Murphy and William Ritter NORTON MUSIC STAGE (Bill Nichols, master of ceremonies) 9:30 a.m. – Rye Holler Boys 10 a.m. – Frogtown Four 10:30 a.m. – Mountain Faith 11 a.m. – Stoney Creek Boys 11:20 a.m. – Dixie Darlin’ Cloggers 11:30 a.m. – Dixie Darlin’ Cloggers – Second Generation 11:40 a.m. – Anne Lough 12:10 p.m. – Costume contests for adults and children, men’s beard and moustache contest, and presentation of Eva Adcock Award and Mountain Heritage Award 12:30 p.m. – Balsam Range 1 p.m. – Phil and Gaye Johnson 1:30 p.m. – Whitewater Bluegrass Co. 2 p.m. – Wild Hog Band 2:30 p.m. – Pirates of the Tuckaseigee 3 p.m. – Stoney Creek Boys 3:20 p.m. – Rough Creek Cloggers 3:25 p.m. – Blue Ridge Highsteppers 3:30 p.m. – French Kirkpatrick 4 p.m. – Paul’s Creek By Randall Holcombe © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 18, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | NOTEWORTHY NEWS Nominations due Oct. 10 for teaching award Nominations for the University of North Carolina Board of Governors’ Award for Excellence in Teaching are due to Anna McFadden, director of Coulter Faculty Center at Western Carolina University, by 5 p.m. Oct. 10. The Board of Governors’ Award for Excellence in Teaching was created in 1994 to encourage, identify, recognize, reward and support excellence in teaching within the UNC system. A cash award of $7,500 and a bronze medallion created especially for the award are given to 16 recipients, one from each institution. Eligibility for the award at WCU includes earned tenure and employment at Western Carolina for at least seven years; demonstrated excellence in teaching for a sustained period; and teaching in the academic year selected. The winning faculty member is eligible to receive the Board of Governors’ award only once in his or her lifetime. Faculty members on scholarly leave are eligible but will still need to be observed in a teaching setting. Any dean, faculty member or alumnus may nominate someone for the award. To be considered in the pool of nominees, a person must receive at least two formal nominations. A formal nomination consists of a written statement to the committee supporting the nominee’s qualifications. More information and a nomination form are posted on the Web site Board of Governors’ Award for Excellence in Teaching. Questions should be directed to McFadden at (828) 227-2093. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 14, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | TOP STORIES On the Mosquito Hunt with Brian Byrd Brian Byrd, assistant professor of environmental health at Western Carolina University, began his academic journey in the mountains of Western North Carolina. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of North Carolina at Asheville before traveling south to New Orleans, where he earned his master’s of science degree in public health and his doctorate in parasitology at Tulane University. His study of mosquitoes was featured along with other WCU faculty and sta???????? research projects in a package of stories published in the fall edition of the magazine of Western Carolina University. Once Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in late August 2005, his family decided to return once again to WNC, setting up residence in Canton while he traveled back and forth to New Orleans to ????????nish his doctoral studies. In addition to spending time with his wife and two young boys, Byrd enjoys kayaking and fishing. The Reporter: How did you become interested in mosquito research? Byrd: I’ve always had an interest in parasitology since I was an undergrad. At Tulane, my interest was not initially on mosquitoes until West Nile virus came through. It was killing people and birds, generally disrupting the ecosystem. That’s when the light went off for me. The Reporter: What was the topic of your dissertation? Byrd: Prior to Katrina, my work was on the evolution of West Nile virus in the Southern United States. I had been working on that research since 2003. I had two years of research. After Katrina, I started looking at genes that discriminate closely related mosquitoes…basically, mosquito genetics. The Reporter: What was your biggest challenge during your doctoral program? Byrd: I’d have to say Katrina was certainly the biggest challenge. The power went out in our lab. Eventually the generators went out and we lost power to our ultra-low freezers, so I lost all my mosquito and viruses samples. They basically sat in an unpluged freezer for almost two months. We lost pretty much everything in our home, too. It was ????????ooded with more than six feet of water– and we had a four-month old child to worry about. Keeping my family safe and ????????nishing my dissertation from a distance were di????????cult. We had evacuated “home” to Western North Carolina as the storm neared and we decided to stay. The Reporter: How else did Hurricane Katrina affect life in New Orleans? Byrd: From a university perspective, we had a hard time keeping good faculty and students – especially about a year after the storm. Two of my classmates never ????????nished their doctoral studies, directly relating to Katrina. Even six months after the storm, little things seemed like a challenge – mailing packages, finding restaurants, grocery shopping. The Reporter: When you visit New Orleans now, what do you do? Byrd: I visit probably two to three times a year. A lot of times I work. I use the facilities [at Tulane] for research. Tulane just ????????nished building an arthropod-containment lab, a place to keep infective mosquitoes in a controlled environment. CATEGORIES | THE REPORTER TOP STORIES NOTEWORTHY NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS EVENTS PHOTOS | WCU NEWS SERVICES CALENDAR 5/29/2017 Ancient Forms, Modern Minds 5/29/2017 Print Plus One: Beyond LINKS Calendar Higher Education NewsWatch WCU Hub AFRICA! MORE THAN A CONTINENT The Reporter: What is your favorite Cajun dish? Byrd: I like a good gumbo. The Reporter: Can you cook any Cajun dishes? Byrd: Yes, I can even make my own roux. The Reporter: What is the strangest place you have collected mosquito specimens? Byrd: The furthest away I’ve collected mosquitoes was in Bamako, Mali. The strangest place is probably crab holes in mangroves in Florida. The Reporter: What is the biggest misconception about mosquitoes? Byrd: A lot of people believe there’s not a problem in Western North Carolina, but we have the lion’s share of mosquito-related diseases for the state. They mainly affect children. In fact, we had one fatality this summer. From a global perspective, a lot of people don’t realize the huge problem of malaria. A death from malaria occurs on average every 30 seconds, usually a mother or a child. The Reporter: You traveled to Mali a few years ago. What did you do while you were there? Byrd: I spent about three weeks in Mail in 2003. The trip was to help build infrastructure for malaria research. The Reporter: What is the biggest cultural di????????erence between Mali and the United States? Byrd: It is a French-speaking predominantly Muslim country. Bombara was the main dialect I encountered. In terms of diet, millet and goat and lots of peanut sauce. The Reporter: If you could pick another place to travel, where would you go and why? Byrd: I haven’t spent any time in Southeast Asia. I think that’s my next venture. I have friends in the Philippines, Bangkok, and Singapore who are studying mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and Japanese encephalitis viruses The Reporter: During your past year at WCU, what has been your favorite memory? Byrd: Walking into my o????????ce one day and ????????nding my o????????ce buried waist deep in balloons. I had just successfully defended my dissertation at Tulane, and my research students had snuck into my o????????ce. I brought my sons to the office and we all popped balloons that weekend. There are still the remnants of a mosquito-shaped balloon hanging on my office light. The Reporter: What’s your favorite season? Byrd: I love the spring. Everything’s fresh and new and green…and bugs are coming out. Interview by Bessie Dietrich Goggins and published in edited and condensed form. Tags: Brian Byrd, Q&A © 2009 Western Carolina University. SEARCH Search Home About Archives Subscribe Contact WCU Home September 14, 2009 ???????? Email This Post ???????? Print This Post ???????? Share | Don Connelly (second from left), head of WCU’s communication department, will represent the College of Arts and Sciences during WCU On Location. Brian Railsback (second from left), dean of the Honors College, will participate in WCU On Location. TOP STORIES On the road again: Faculty and staff take WCU to prospective students Two dozen faculty and sta???????? members will go the extra mile – or 632 miles, to be exact – for students this week as they travel with the annual WCU On Location recruiting event. Campus representatives left Monday, Sept. 14, to drive to Concord, Durham, Raleigh and Greensboro to share the Western Carolina experience with prospective students and their families, and invite them to visit the campus in person. “It’s a lot of hard work, and we usually don’t get to eat dinner until 10 p.m., but it is very rewarding meeting people curious and excited about college and Western Carolina,” said Phil Cauley, director of enrollment management for Educational Outreach and longtime event participant. “Many of us love for those four evenings being an ambassador for Western Carolina and helping prospective students see that at WCU you are a person who matters as an individual and will get the support you need to succeed.” The event stands out to students, said Shawna Young, director of outreach and assessment for the Division of Student A????????airs. “Most admissions events bring one or two people to a college fair or guidance counselor. WCU On Location brings the people and o????????ces of Western Carolina directly to prospective students and their families, giving them a great feel for the people of WCU, and lets them know they will not only receive a great education, but also be part of a family,” said Young. “Although I spent my early years in higher education in admissions, I had never seen or participated in an outreach event like WCU On Location.” Marie Hu????????, associate dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences, said the event is a great opportunity to introduce prospective students to a variety of majors and professions, “especially those they may not know about.” And David Goss, director of the Advising Center, said prospective students who attend WCU On Location truly get to see the collaborative nature of the WCU experience. “Faculty along with staff from both Academic A????????airs and Student A????????airs play different roles in the experience students have at WCU, and traveling to these events together reinforces that in a meaningful way,” said Goss. Tammy Haskett, director of orientation programs and longtime WCU On Location participant, said attendees seem to value the face-to-face time with faculty and sta????????. “They always ask questions like, ‘Do you have a major in…?’ and ‘What is there to do?’” Haskett said. “I also hear comments like, ‘Everyone is so friendly. I can’t believe you drove all the way down here to make it so convenient for us.’” For Keith Corzine, director of residential living, the question he ????????elds most often is ‘Where is the best place to live?” “Our answer is, ‘That depends on where you live. The best place is going to be where you are,’” said Corzine. “We try to convey to students that at WCU it is not about the building, it is about the community and participating and becoming an active member of the community.” It’s not just about answering questions, though. It’s also about asking them and helping students take the ????????rst step of the kind of re????????ective, educational experience they would have at WCU, said Steve Carlisle, associate dean of the Honors College and WCU alumnus. “I want students out there on the road to tell me about what they dream about doing with their lives,” said Carlisle. “I tell them that when I was their age that I had a dream too – one that I never told anyone because it sounded so far-fetched, but then I came to Cullowhee, and the teachers there gave me the tools to make my dream come true. It was true then, and it’s true today.” Carlisle also shares with them the kind of meaningful experiences and friendships they can develop at W
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